Jumbles sometimes called knots, a type of biscuit popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were made from a light mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, flavoured with rosewater and aniseed or caraway seed. The mixture was made into thin rolls and shaped into rounds or knots before baking; the name derives from gemmel, twin, here referring to a double intertwined finger ring. The etymology is repeated in France with their similar biscuit gimblettes. Some early recipes (e.g. William Dawson and Robert May) suggest boiling the dough before baking it. See in this regard pretzel.
